Advice please

[kaz60]

Hi I'm new to this forum but would like some advice. We are thinking of getting a cocker spaniel puppy but my concern is that I work part time, 4 mornings and the pup would be on its own for 5 hours, my son sometimes goes into work late so he will be about on occasions but not every day. We had a cocker for 16 years but when he was a pup I was at home all the time. Any advice please?

[Pearly]

Hi and welcome from Jayne and Pearl

5 hours is a long time to leave a pup  - is there anyone in the family or a neighbour who could pop in to let him/her out midway? For Ps first month at home I took holidays and half days (even managed to work from home) for a couple of days but my neighbour popped in when I did gave to go to work....think the most she was left for was 1.5 hours until she was 20 weeks old!

Of course, being a cute puppy was too much to resist for my neighbour who still pops in to let her out  3 years on!

[Welsh cocker]

I have recently got a beautiful cocker pup (8 weeks ago) and work mon-fri (flexi hours) but meaning my girl is left alone for at least 4 hrs each day! I have had two dogs previously (both high energy breeds- springer and a collie) under similar circumstances.
I had two weeks off work when I first bought her home (to start training, bonding, and increase her security) and then got into the following routine.
I walk my pup for 20-25 mins each morning prior to work, feed her breakfast as I leave, leave a kong ball and toys, and lock her in the kitchen with her bed/crate. In the evening shed has another 30 min walk. Both walks include some off lead running.
Initially she cried (I videoed it)  but she has quickly learnt to tolerate it and will settle when I leave and sleep or eat. She doesn't get into mischief and puppy pads allowed her toilet training to continue. At 20 weeks she is able to last until I get home, and uses the pads as an extra blanket to lie on  . I'm  sure she would prefer to be with me all the time (as I would prefer to be home full time) but in my experience dogs are very adaptable, and if routine is introduced early they tend to accept it. They don't have the awareness that 'Benji down the road has his owners home all the time' 

However, I shower my pup with time and affection when I am home. We play, train, and cuddle for hours each day. And as she gets older, both walks will take longer in order to continue to tire and prepare her to rest when I am out.

The worse thing in my experience is the guilt I feel...and it does restrict my evenings at the moment. I refuse to lock her up alone at night to go out, if I've been in work during the day.

It's not ideal, but I remind myself of all the wonderful things my pup has in her life, and her life with another family who may have been home full time doesn't guarantee she would have had better quality of life. All my dogs have been happy and content, but I have invested a lot of time in the first weeks of having them to ensure that separation wouldn't be an issue. If you can commit to that and give a pup a wonderful home, I say why not! The fact you are even considering the implications tells me that it would be one lucky pup to have you 

[kaz60]

Thank you so much for the replies, I know that I will feel enormous guilt at leaving a puppy but we can offer a pup a wonderful loving home as we did with our previous cocker. I have been reading different articles on puppy separation and it does worry me that leaving the pup could cause problems. It has been 4 years since our last cocker and it's only now that I feel ready to have another dog. I thought about getting in touch with a dog sitter who could possibly come in for an hour to sit and play with pup and take it out when it has had its inoculations. Just wish it was more straight forward.

[MIN]

we have had all our dogs with both of us working full time .